


A Day in the Life

by AcesOfSpade



Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Canon Gay Character, Christmas, Established Relationship, Family, Fluff, Marriage Proposal, Multi, School Dances, Secret Santa, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-11
Updated: 2016-08-11
Packaged: 2018-08-08 03:56:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7742416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AcesOfSpade/pseuds/AcesOfSpade
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An ongoing story about the Smith/Gate family. John, Sarah Jane, Luke, Jenny, and Sky are a pretty odd family, but they're close. From misunderstandings to fights, sit back and watch as they grow and evolve.</p><p>Chapter One: There's some misunderstandings going on, and Sky is crying.<br/>Chapter Two: An early Christmas with the kids.<br/>Chapter Three: The annual sweethearts dance at the school gave Sanjay the perfect opportunity to ask Luke something.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. He's My Dad

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings: homophobia (minor), mentions of suicide (brief)
> 
> I started an all-human AU. Yay me. I usually don't include Jenny in these things, but I added Jenny this time because Jenny is a bamf. Also, for reference, Luke is 17, Jenny is 15, and Sky is 12.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite being in his last year of high school, almost the entire student body was oblivious to the fact that Luke Smith was the son of physics teacher Dr. John Gate. One fateful day in November, that changed.

Having your Dad as a teacher was kind of weird, honestly. He did his best to not play favourites with his son, but Dr. John Gate was partial to family. His son, Luke, was a senior in high school, putting him in John's physics class first period. Luke was always the first one to class, showing up extremely early with his Dad. His classmates were always surprised to find out Luke was awake by 5:30 AM, and at the school by 7:15. None of them knew that Dr. Gate was Luke's Dad, and they had kept it that way since Luke started high school.

 

One day, during November of Luke's senior year, the student body found out about Luke and Dr. Smith. It was a Tuesday, and everyone was bustling around as usual. Luke was sitting in his spot at the back of the physics classroom, his notes spread out in front of him as he studied for the test the next week. John was at the front of the room, setting up the broadcast of the morning announcements on the projector. As the students started filing in, a few of them waved to their bowtie-clad teacher and a few waved to Luke in the back.

 

When the bell rang around 8:05, the projector whirred to life, a song blaring through the speakers. Luke didn't recognize it, but apparently the others kids did, because some of them were singing along rather obnoxiously. Luke just rolled his eyes, editing a few of his notes as he found errors. He stood when the announcements told him to for O Canada, and stayed standing during the morning reflection from the chaplain. He sat down when he was done, returning to his notes and only half-listening to the students reading off the announcements. He did hear the announcement that Reach For the Top practice was being moved to Thursday that week, as the coach was on a field trip with her class. That was the only announcement that affected him, and it was the last.

 

Once the announcements were over, John set up the day's lesson on the projector, launching into his lecture-type style once everyone had some form of note-taking material, whether it be a notebook or a computer. The classroom soon filled with not only John's voice, but the sound of clicking keys and scratching pencils.

 

Just as the lesson finished, the sharp ring of the phone cut through the relative silence the classroom had fallen into. John rushed over to it, picking it up with a quick 'hello'. His face drained of most of its colour as the person on the other end spoke, informing him that he and Luke were leaving early due to an incident with Sky's school.

 

Hanging up, John went over to Luke's desk to tell him.

 

“Pack up your stuff,” John told his son softly, which earned him a confused tilt of Luke's head. “Something's happened at Sky's school, and they need us there,” he explained. The colour drained from Luke's face as quickly as it had John's, the teen scrambling to put away his notes and grab his backpack. “They're sending up a substitute, so we can leave when they get here.”

 

Luke nodded mutely. He didn't like when things happened to his sisters, especially not Sky. Sky was bad with people, and she got into a lot of fights at school despite only being in the seventh grade.

 

A few minutes later, the substitute teacher let himself into the classroom and nodded to John and Luke to say they could leave. He set himself up at the front lab bench, reading over the lesson notes John had left on the bench for him.

 

Luke followed John out of the classroom, backpack haphazardly thrown over his shoulder as they headed downstairs and out across the street to Sky's school. Jenny was already there, and so was their Mum, Sarah Jane. They were waiting for John and Luke out front, Jenny biting her lip in worry. Nobody liked it when all of them were called to Sky's school, because it usually meant something big had happened.

 

The four of them entered the building together, following the well-remembered path to the principal's office. They were quickly ushered in, lead to where Sky was sitting.

 

The first thing Sarah Jane noted about her youngest daughter was that she was crying soundlessly. She immediately was at Sky's side, pulling her into a hug and trying to calm her down. Sky very rarely cried, and when she did, she needed physical affection to calm her back down. John sat on her other side, doing much the same. Luke and Jenny immediately stood rigid, a look of anger flitting through Jenny's bright blue eyes. Whoever made her sister cry was going to get an earful from an angry 10th grader.

 

The principal came out to see them a few moments later, smiling sadly at the family. Luke and Jenny looked at him expectantly, Luke crossing his arms over his chest. Clearing his throat, he got Sarah Jane and John to look over at him.

 

“What happened?” Sarah Jane asked softly, furrowing his brows in worry.

 

“One of the students was harassing your daughter,” the principal said simply. “He began to insult her brother, something about him being a freak of nature?”

 

Luke tensed even further, clenching his teeth. He was a good person, he wouldn't murder an elementary school kid.

 

“What was he saying?” Jenny asked, an underlying anger in her voice. She was a good person, but she wasn't above punching a kid in the face for insulting her brother and making her sister cry.

 

“He-he said Luke was a freak 'cause he likes boys,” Sky muttered, finally speaking up. “Said it was unnatural, and that Luke shouldn't exist.” She sounded so distraught, so sad. It was no secret Sky was attached to Luke like a leech, and frankly it was adorable when it didn't hurt Sky like this. “He also said Luke should-,” she trailed off, unable to finish her sentence without a whimper passing her lips. “He said Luke you kill himself,” she whispered, burying his face in her Dad's shoulder.

 

Luke clenching his teeth even tighter, hands curling into tight fists. That kid was an asshole, there was no questioning that. Who was he to decide who should live and who should die? And saying someone should kill themselves was crossing a line.

 

Jenny let out a soft growl, one laced with anger and resentment. “What's the kid's name?” she asked coldly. The principal paused, unsure as to whether or not he should tell her, seeing as she was angry and looked like she would hurt the kid.

 

Luke uncrossed his arms and placed a hand on Jenny's arm. “Don't hurt anyone,” he muttered, voice softer than he'd wanted. “Don't stoop to his level,” he added, turning to the principal. “How old was the kid?” he asked curiously.

 

“I'm unsure of his exact age, but he is a fifth grade student,” the principal stated. Luke sighed, running his free hand through his hair and making his backpack slide down his arm. He adjusted it, bringing it back up to his shoulder.

 

Jenny relaxed under her brother's touch, the anger slowly melting out of her. “I'm still not happy,” she muttered.

 

“I know you are,” Luke muttered back, letting go of her arm. He turned to Sky, motioning for her to come over to him. John and Sarah Jane pulled away from her so she could stand up and go see her brother.

 

Once she was within reach, Sky was pulled into a hug by her brother. Luke rested his chin on top of her head. “Listen to me, Sky,” he said softly. “He's wrong, and he has no place to say anything of that nature,” he added firmly. “I'm not a freak, and I most certainly should exist, just like you. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon, so you're stuck with me for a while,” he added teasingly.

 

Sky hugged him a little too tightly, finally feeling less sad. “I don't like when people make fun of you,” she muttered into his shoulder.

 

“I know, Sky,” Luke said. “Next time, just ignore him,” he suggested.

 

Watching the interaction, the principal couldn't help but smile. “Why don't you take her home for the rest of the day? I don't think she'll be able to focus on her work.”

 

John and Sarah Jane nodded, standing up from their seats. Sky pulled away from Luke, grabbing his hand. Jenny stood on her other side, allowing her sister to grab her hand as well. With a nod and a smile to the principal, the five of them headed out. Sarah Jane took Sky and Jenny with her, John and Luke heading back over to the high school for John's car.

 

Students were milling about outside, probably kids with a second period spare, some of them just passed the property line with cigarettes held between their lips. John couldn't give them detention, because they weren't technically on school property. He just shook his head in disappointment, unlocking his car. Luke climbed into the shotgun seat, throwing his bag in the back seat for the drive home.

 

A few of the students outside were confused as to why Luke Smith was going home with Dr. Gate, and others were wondering why the two had been at the elementary school.

 

By senior lunch at school, the students were buzzing. The kids outside had gone in at the bell, telling their friends about what they saw. It'd been a while since something gossip-worthy had come up, so they were eager to share and start some rumours.

 

At the Smith/Gate household, Sky was curled up on the couch, her head in Luke's lap as they watched a movie to cheer Sky up. It was called 'Breakfast With Scot', and it was one of Sky's favourite movies because it portrayed gay relationships in a fairly positive light, unlike other movies. Luke liked it because it had one of his favourite actors as one of the leads, Tom Cavanagh. He played an ex-Maple Leaf, and Luke thought that was pretty cool.

 

Jenny wandered into the living room with a bag of chips, offering it to Sky. She shook her head, not really hungry. Luke stole a few when Jenny wasn't looking, succeeding in not being noticed.

 

By the time the movie was over, Luke had stolen a few more chips and Sky was feeling a whole lot better.

* * *

The next day at school, Luke felt like everybody was watching him. As the students started filing into physics that morning, they were glancing between Luke and John, whispering behind their hands to their friends about something. They quieted down during the announcements and reflection, and even during John's lesson. Once the lesson was over though, they started whispering back and forth again, which made Luke uncomfortable. None of his friends were in this class, so he couldn't talk to them. He settled for doing the assigned homework questions instead.

 

About forty-five minutes into class, one of the girls near the front of the room approached Luke, sitting on the empty desk beside him. She cleared her throat to get his attention, a curious look on her face. “My friends and I were wondering something,” she mused. “Someone saw you leave yesterday morning with Dr. Gate,” she went on, gesturing to John, “and we wanted to know why.”

 

Luke raised an eyebrow. “You mean in the last four years nobody figured it out?” he muttered in surprise, which only confused the girl further. “He's my Dad,” Luke explained bluntly.

 

“Oh,” the girl frowned. “Isn't it weird being in his class?”

 

Luke shook his head. “Not really. He's good at not being partial. Treats me like any other student.”

 

The girl nodded, standing up from the desk. “Well, thanks for explaining,” she said with a wave, heading back to her own desk, and her friends.

 

Come senior lunch, the school was still buzzing. Luke was sitting at the corner table his friends had snagged in grade nine, nibbling on an apple. Maria, Clyde, Rani, and Sanjay sat in the other four seats, Sanjay next to Luke as usual. Maria had her normal place at the end of the table not pushed up against the wall, and Clyde and Rani were across from Luke and Sanjay.

 

“So the school's been talking about you,” Clyde mused, snagging a french fry our of Rani's poutine for himself. “Someone saw you leave with your Dad yesterday, and they've gone nuts trying to figure out why.” Luke's friends already knew about his status as Dr. Gate's son, seeing as they've all been over to his place on countless occasions. They'd been friends for four years, it was bound to happen.

 

“What are some of the crazy ones?” Luke asked in curious amusement.

 

“I heard one kid tell his friend that he thought you two were brothers,” Maria commented, biting into her leftover pizza.

 

“Another thought you two were having a secret affair,” Rani added, which caused Luke to shudder and fake a gag.

 

“Gross,” Luke muttered. “Just gross. Besides, half the school already knows I have a boyfriend,” he shrugged, glancing over at Sanjay with a grin. “I don't need to have an illicit affair with my _Dad_. That's just wrong.”

 

Clyde rolled his eyes with an amused chuckle. “I heard one guy suggested abduction,” he commented. “It's been wild, what these people came up with.”

 

“They'll have the truth by the end of the day,” Luke shrugged. “I told Peri Brown that he was my Dad, and we all know how much that girl loves to gossip,” he commented.

 

“Why her?” Rani wondered.

 

“She came up to me in physics and asked, so I told her the truth,” Luke answered with a shrug, finishing his apple and tossing the core over Clyde's head and into the garbage can behind him, cheering when it went in. Sanjay rolled his eyes at his boyfriend's antics, kissing his cheek.

 

“Fair enough,” Rani nodded, taking a bite of her sandwich.

 

“Sooo,” Clyde trailed off, ready to change the subject. “Christmas is soon,” he mused. “We should hang out during the break. We haven't been out with all five of us since the summer.”

 

Maria grinned. “We could go sledding. Or skating,” she added, smirking in Clyde's direction. Clyde couldn't skate to save his life, and he clung to his girlfriend so tightly he could break her arm.

 

“There's always the option of you guys coming over for an early Christmas dinner,” Luke stated. “Dad loves cooking Christmas dinner, and I know you all love Mum's pies.”

 

“Sold,” Clyde said quickly. He really did love Sarah Jane's pies. They were amazing, and just about the only thing she could cook without burning.

 

“I'm in,” Maria and Rani said at the same time. Turning to Sanjay, they all stared at him expectantly.

 

“Why wouldn't I be in?” Sanjay chuckled, rolling his eyes at the looks he was getting. “His parents love me, and so do his sisters. Of course I'll be there.”

 

Luke grinned, pulling out his phone. He sent a quick text to his mother, asking if they could come over the Sunday after the break started for dinner. He got an 'absolutely' in return not long after, grinning broadly.

 

“Mum said you guys can come over,” he told them happily.

 

“Okay, if we're meeting for Christmas, we're doing Secret Santa, and none of you are allowed to back out,” Maria decided, reaching into her bag for a sheet of paper and a pen. She scribbled everyone's name down on the paper and ripped it into strips, snagging Clyde's now-empty container to put them in. “If you get your own name, pull a new one and put yours back.”

 

Clyde drew first, followed by Rani. Sanjay accidentally pulled his own name, as did Luke. Maria was left with the last slip of paper, unfolding it to check who she got. She grinned when she read the slip, dropping it into her backpack for later.


	2. (Not So) Secret Santa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a few days before Christmas, and the kids have gathered at the Smith/Gate house for a little celebration of their own.

The first one to arrive was Sanjay. He made a habit of being places early, and he came bearing a gift-wrapped box for their Secret Santa. He was instructed to stick it under the tree, and he barely had time to before Sky came barrelling into the room to hug him.

“Hey, cloud girl,” Sanjay chuckled, hugging Sky. He liked to call her cloud girl, since her name was Sky and she liked cloud-watching.

“Luke didn't tell me you were coming so early,” Sky commented, pulling out of the hug. “C'mon, let's go see Jenny!” she grinned, tugging Sanjay by the hand towards the basement. Sanjay gave Luke an apologetic look as Sky dragged him away, but Luke just chuckled. It was adorable how much his sister liked his boyfriend.

Luke trailed behind them, taking a bowl of chips off the counter to bring downstairs. He really should be waiting upstairs for the other three, but Sanjay was here, and he was powerless to stay away.

It was another twenty minutes before Clyde came dashing down the stairs, flopping down on the couch next to the cuddling couple. He rolled his eyes teasingly, but said nothing about it. He just grabbed a handful of chips, shoving them into his mouth and dropping some on his lap.

It was five minutes until Rani showed up, wearing probably the tackiest Christmas sweater she owned. She sat down next to Clyde, and the two ended up cuddling like Luke and Sanjay were. Sky and Jenny laughed at the couples, returning to their rousing game of Uno.

Maria was running late, arriving 15 minutes after Rani. She apologized, saying that her mother had stopped by again and wouldn't let her leave until she was done her story. Maria lived across the street. She simply sat on the floor with Jenny and Sky, requesting she be dealt into the game.

After an hour of relative silence, Jenny had an idea. “We should do something fun. Like Just Dance or something.”

Clyde grinned. “Luke, dancing? This I gotta see,” he teased. Luke stuck his tongue out at his best friend.

“I'm in. Which one do you have?” Maria asked curiously. “Wii or X-Box?”

“X-Box,” Sky piped up. “The Wii version is awkward to handle.”

Maria nodded in understanding. “Get ready to be creamed,” she grinned. “Dad and I play all the time.”

“Oh, you're on girlie,” Sanjay teased, detangling himself from Luke to go grab the game. He knew where just about everything was here, seeing as he spent quite a bit of time there.

“What are the stakes?” Rani asked, because they never played without some kind of stakes.

“Lowest two have to run upstairs and sing Rudolph to Mum and Dad,” Luke decided. “In French.”

“You drive a hard bargain, buddy,” Clyde chuckled. “You're lucky my French is fluent when it comes to Christmas carols.”

An hour later, Maria, Rani, and Sanjay were sent upstairs to the kitchen. The remaining kids in the basement could hear their awkward attempt at singing the song in French, Rani accidentally switching to English a few times. When they came back downstairs, they found the others laughing uncontrollably, Clyde's face as red as his sweater.

“Jerks,” Maria muttered good-naturedly, rolling her eyes. She lightly shoved Luke's shoulder, which earned a playfully annoyed noise. 

They sat in the basement for another hour playing Uno, until Sarah Jane called the kids up for dinner. All seven of them headed up, snagging seats at the table. Sanjay and Luke ended up next to each other, but Rani and Clyde were across from each other, much to their annoyance.

During dinner, Sky kept stealing food off of Luke's plate without him noticing who was doing it. He noticed it was missing, but he suspected Sanjay over Sky. By the end of dinner, he realized his mistake and lightly punched Sky's shoulder with an eye roll.

After dinner, the kids converged on the living room for their Secret Santa exchange. Sanjay and Luke were in front of the couch, Rani and Clyde behind them on the couch. Maria sat by the tree with Jenny and Sky, elected herself to hand out gifts.

Maria handed Rani hers first. It was wrapped in red and silver paper, with a little bow on top. Her name was written on a tag in an unfamiliar handwriting, which caused her to frown slightly. Carefully removing the paper, she smiled at what was underneath.

“A notebook,” she smiled. “I needed a new one,” she added. It was a nice notebook, with a basket of puppies on the front. 

Next was Luke. His was wrapped in paper decorated with snowflakes, his name written in a familiar scrawl he was all too pleased with. He unwrapped it, making a small 'awe' noise at the contents. 

“It's adorable,” Luke smiled, leaning over to kiss his boyfriend's cheek. It was a picture of the two of them at the park, one that Maria had taken over he summer. Luke was carrying Sanjay on his back, the pair of hem grinning like the idiots they were. There was mud on Luke's face and leaves in Sanjay's hair, but they didn't care at the time. Maria had told them to smile, so they had. The frame it was in was a simple wooden one, dark in colour with squared corners. 

Sanjay grinned, kissing Luke's cheek in return. He said nothing though, as this was a Secret Santa thing. He knew Luke would know though, because he wrote Luke's name himself.

Rolling her eyes at the obviousness, Maria handed Sanjay his next. He got a bag with Christmas baubles on it that was stuffed with tissue paper, so he removed that and extracted the contents. It was a teddy bear in a Santa hat, with a little bell in his hand. He grinned at how cute it was, ringing the little bell a few times. 

Before opening her own, Maria gave Clyde his. He got a sketchbook, still wrapped in plastic. It was nice quality, and there was a pack of sketch pencils taped to it. He smiled, taking the sketchbook out of the plastic to get a feel for it.

Finally, Maria opened her own. She got a set of over-ear headphones adorned with kitten ears, which were adorable. She hung them around her neck and plugged them into her phone, anticipating using them later.

Another few hours later, and all but Sanjay had to go. Luke had convinced both his parents and Sanjay's parents to let him stay for the night, so he was staying. Luke took him upstairs to his bedroom, flopping down on the bed and gesturing for Sanjay to join him. Sanjay flopped down right next to him, Luke immediately curling into his side. His head moved to rest on his boyfriend's chest, and Sanjay wrapped an arm around him. Luke's parents were alright with the two sharing a bed when Sanjay stayed over, because they trusted their son to not do anything stupid.

Sanjay started running his fingers through Luke's hair, smiling softly. “Today was fun,” he said softly. “It's nice when we're all in the same place.”

Luke nodded in agreement. “It's nice,” he mused. “Makes it feel like we're a little family,” he smiled.

“In a way, I guess we are,” Sanjay chuckled. “Maria is practically your third sister anyway,” he teased. “She's here so often I think your Mum has decided she's one of you now.”

Luke chuckled back, shaking his head in amusement. “I agree,” he said. “Mum loves Maria. But her Dad is pretty cool, wouldn't want to take her from him like that.”

“Alan is pretty cool,” Sanjay agreed. “Cooler than my boring Dad anyway.” Sanjay's Dad was a lawyer who had very little time for anything fun. Alan Jackson was this bright, bubbly person with so much energy it was infectious. It was a wonder Chrissie ever left him.

The conversation tapered off after that, Luke eventually falling asleep on Sanjay's chest. Sanjay fell asleep not long after, his fingers still tangled in Luke's hair.

In the morning, Jenny had gone to wake them up for breakfast. When she saw them curled up together like that, she slipped her phone out of her pocket to take a picture to use as blackmail later. Once she had the picture, she beat on the wall next to the door a few times. It succeeded in startling them awake, Luke yawning with a stretch.

“Breakfast?” Luke guessed.

“Yep,” Jenny nodded. “Dad made waffles, so hurry up if you want one. You know what Sky is like with Dad's waffles.”

Luke chuckled, crawling out of bed and offering Sanjay his hand. Sanjay took it, pulling himself up but didn't drop it as they headed down to the dining room for breakfast.


	3. Valentine's Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Every year, the high school has a 'sweethearts dance' on Valentine's Day, and Luke and Sanjay have gone every year since grade nine. Now in grade twelve, Sanjay decided to make it memorable in another way.

Valentine's Day was just around the corner, and the high school was abuzz with talk of the annual 'sweethearts dance'. The gym was decorated with all kinds of romantic stuff, and they had plastic candles all around to make the mood less school-like. Luke and Sanjay had been to the dance every year since they started high school, as a couple. They'd started dating at the end of eighth grade, but the sweethearts dance of their grade nine year was the first time they did anything remotely couple-like in high school. People had gawked and called out rude things, but they paid no mind to the people around them.

 

Now that they were in their last year of high school, they weren't missing the dance for anything. Luke even let Jenny pick out what he was going to wear. He'd outgrown what he'd worn the year before, so he'd taken Jenny to the second-hand store and let her find something for him.

 

Sanjay, on the other hand, already had what he was wearing. He'd gotten it when he realized he wasn't fitting into the previous year's outfit, and he'd made sure it was in perfect condition for the dance.

 

Come Valentine's Day, Luke arrived at school with Jenny as usual, wearing a red and pink shirt to celebrate the occasion. When he got to his locker, he found a little note taped to the door that read 'thinking of you' in Sanjay's writing. Chuckling at his boyfriend's antics, Luke opened his locker. Luke was always at school before Sanjay, so this must've been set up before the other boy left the day previous. Inside his locker, there was a little potted zinnia flower. It was a vibrant red colour, with yellow in seemingly random places. Smiling, Luke picked it up off the shelf of his locker to inspect it. It seemed to be fine, so maybe it _hadn't_ been put in there last night. But Sanjay was never at school before 7:30, and checking his watch, Luke noted that it was only 7:20.

 

He wasn't given much time to think on it, because there was soon a set of arms wrapped around his waist and a chin on his shoulder. “You like it?” a voice muttered into his ear. Sanjay. What was he doing here so early? His bus didn't get there until half-past.

 

“I love it,” Luke smiled, leaning back against his boyfriend. “Where'd you find it? These are native to Canada,” he noted.

 

“That's my secret,” Sanjay grinned, kissing Luke's cheek.

 

Luke chuckled, rolling his eyes. “Mr. Secretive, now aren't we?” he teased.

 

“Yes, yes I am,” Sanjay grinned. “Now, am I picking you up tonight or are you picking me up?” he asked. Both of them had their G2 licenses, so they could drive by themselves. Sanjay usually drove his mother's car, but Luke had saved up to get his own for his 17th birthday back in September.

 

“I'll pick you up. If you come pick me up, Mum is going to start fussing,” Luke decided. “Shoo, go to your locker and get ready for class. Giampietri hates when you're late.”

 

Sanjay rolled his eyes, giving Luke one last kiss on the cheek before he headed for his locker. Luke hoped he'd distracted Sanjay long enough for Jenny to do what he'd asked her to. Pulling out his phone, he decided to text her and ask.

 

_To: Jenny Marie_

_Get it done? Sanjay is on his way to his locker now._

 

_From: Jenny Marie_

_What kind of sneak do you take me for? Of course it's done._

 

_To: Jenny Marie_

_Good. See you later._

 

Once that was dealt with, Luke grabbed his books for chemistry, heading up to the science wing for class. He missed having his Dad as his homeroom teacher, but ever since the new semester started two weeks ago, he'd had Mr. Parco instead.

 

Settling in to his second row desk, Luke felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He pulled it out, still having time before the bell, and chuckled.

 

_From: Sanjay Arthur_

_Okay, you win._

 

_To: Sanjay Arthur_

_Win what?_

 

_From: Sanjay Arthur_

_The stuffed beagle with the heart? Yeah, you win._

 

_To: Sanjay Arthur_

_No, your non-native flower wins. I still want to know where you found it._

 

_From: Sanjay Arthur_

_Secrets, babe, secrets ;)_

 

_To: Sanjay Arthur:_

_You can't see, but I'm rolling my eyes at you._

 

As he sent the last text, the bell rang. He slipped his phone into his bag so Parco didn't see it, going through the usual homeroom routine of standing, listening to O Canada and the morning reflection, sitting down, and half-listening to the announcements afterwards.

 

Once all that was done, Mr. Parco started his lesson. Luke sometimes wished he hadn't taken chemistry; two weeks in, and it was already not something he wanted to deal with. He didn't like it, it wasn't fun, and he wished it wasn't too late to switch out of it. He still had no friends in his homeroom, meaning crippling boredom for him.

 

The end of period bell was a blessing. Luke gathered up his things and returned to his locker to grab his books for writer's craft. He had Rani and Sanjay in that class, at least.

 

Heading back upstairs, Luke ducked into the classroom seconds before the bell, taking his usual seat at the front between Rani and Sanjay.

 

The teacher, Mr. Dempsey, smiled when he sat down before getting up to start the lesson. They were learning about _in media res_ that day, the writing convention wherein the author starts a story off in the middle of an 'action' sequence, whether it be a fight or something else similar. Once the lesson was done, Dempsey gave the class a chance to try to write something _in media res_ for the remainder of the period.

 

Luke cracked open his notebook, sharpening his pencil and beginning to write. Sanjay peeked over his shoulder every so often just to read what he had, but Luke kept telling him to focus on his own story. Sanjay had three paragraphs by lunch, whereas Luke had nearly three pages. Rani, being Rani with her laptop, had a good five pages of writing. She typed ridiculously fast, and she was a great writer.

 

When the lunch bell rang, the trio headed downstairs and broke off to head to their lockers. Luke grabbed his lunch, and after a moment's contemplation, the zinnia. He met the rest of the group at Clyde's locker, as usual. Once everyone was there, they headed for the cafeteria. Their table had been taken by someone else, much to their dismay, so they sat at the next table over.

 

“So,” Clyde began, gesturing to the zinnia on the table. “Sanjay get you another flower?” he teased.

 

Luke nodded. “ _Zinnia elegans_ ,” he said. “The genus isn't native to Canada,” he added, still curious about that part. “It grows in warmer climates, like Mexico or Texas.”

 

“Did you know that the zinnia flower symbolizes long-lasting relationships in a lot of places?” Maria mused after a bite of her pizza. “I think it's adorable.”

 

Sanjay chuckled. “I did know that, actually,” he smiled proudly. He knew a lot about flower meanings and symbolism since his mother was a botanist.

 

“Nerd,” Clyde coughed into his fist teasingly. Rani rolled her eyes at her boyfriend, flicking the side of his head.

 

“Be nice, Clyde,” she chided jokingly. “It's Valentine's Day. Let him be a nerd.”

 

“You guys going to the dance tonight?” Luke asked Clyde and Rani.

 

“Hopefully,” Rani nodded. “Clyde just needs to give me a ride, which I'm sure he will.”

 

“Of course I will, babe,” Clyde nodded. “Wouldn't want to miss our one opportunity to go tothis thing as a couple.”

 

“Then there's me,” Maria commented. “18 years and counting as a single lady. Woe is me,” she joked.

 

“You'll find someone,” Rani assured her. “You'd be a catch for anyone, guy or girl.”

 

“Thanks,” Maria chuckled.

 

The rest of lunch went by quickly, the group barely finishing their lunches. Afterwards, Luke put the zinnia back in his locker carefully and grabbed his books for calculus. Surprisingly, Clyde was in that class with him, so he at least had someone to talk to.

 

After calculus was French with Maria and Rani, and after that it was time to head home. The dance was at five, so Luke had a few hours to get ready and go pick up Sanjay.

 

Once Luke got home, he was dragged upstairs by his sister so she could 'help him look presentable'. She shoved him into her room and sat him down on her desk chair, telling him to stay there as she went into his room to grab a comb, some hair gel, and what he planned on wearing.

 

Luke sat and waited, knowing Jenny was only doing this because she cared. She'd done it last year too, and Luke suspected she only did because she didn't have anyone to go with.

 

Returning with her acquisitions, Jenny dragged the desk chair closer to her bed and sat on the edge, instructing Luke to tilt his head forward. Once he had, she started carefully combing the knots and tangles out, making sure not to tug too hard or hurt him. Once it was combed, she coated the comb in gel and ran it through his hair a few more times to lay it neatly on his head. She claimed he looked more adorable with his hair neat and tidy.

 

After the hair, Jenny shoved Luke's clothes toward him and instructed him to change. Since they were pretty close, Luke simply changed in Jenny's room, tossing his dirty clothes in the hamper in the hallway when he was done.

 

Jenny was immediately fixing things about Luke's outfit. She flattened out the creases in his shirt, adjusted the way the jacket sat on his shoulders, and straightened his tie, because Luke couldn't straighten a tie for the life of him. Once she deemed him presentable, it was already four, so Luke padded his way downstairs in his sock feet to grab his nice shoes and car keys.

 

Sarah Jane was sitting in the living room when Luke came down, standing up to go look at him.

 

“Oh, you look so grown up,” Sarah Jane smiled. “It feels like just yesterday that the two of you got together, and now it's been nearly five years since you started dating.”

 

“Mum,” Luke muttered, feeling his face heat up.

 

Sarah Jane chuckled. “Have fun tonight,” she said. “But not too much. I expect you home by ten, got it?”

 

Luke nodded. “Got it,” he chirped. “Now, I have to go pick up Sanjay,” he said, giving his mother a quick hug before heading outside.

 

The entire way over to Sanjay's, Luke was tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. He didn't know if it was nerves or excitement, but he knew it was something. Pulling into Sanjay's driveway, he got out of his car and went to the door like a proper gentleman, knocking softly.

 

Sanjay's mother, Clarissa, answered the door with a grin. “Ah, Luke!” she greeted. “Sanjay will be down in a minute. He's trying to figure out his tie.”

 

Luke chuckled at that. “Jenny did mine,” he commented. “I've never been good with ties, and I take it Sanjay hasn't either.”

 

“That's right. I've been tying them for him, but he insisted on tying it himself today,” Clarissa nodded. “Oh, there he is,” she added, glancing behind her when she heard footsteps on the stairs.

 

Sanjay stepped out of the front door, pushing passed his mother. “Luke,” he grinned. “You look amazing.”

 

“So do you,” Luke commented. Sanjay was wearing a well-fitted black suit with a pink and white striped tie, his curly black hair tamed and neat. Luke, on the other hand, wore a dark blue suit that was slightly too big, paired with a white and gold striped tie.

 

“Bye, Mum,” Sanjay waved, taking Luke's hand and tugging him towards his car. Luke chuckled, waving to Clarissa as he was tugged away.

 

When they arrived at the school, the parking lot was full of student cars. There were one or two teacher cars, but not many. Luke found a parking spot and killed the engine, getting out and circling around to Sanjay's side. Once Sanjay was out, he grabbed Luke's hand as Luke locked the car, swinging their hands between them.

 

Heading inside, Luke squeezed Sanjay's hand. Some of the younger students were touchy about them doing couple things together, but the kids in their grade were used to it by now. The nines and tens made stupid comments towards them, sometimes malicious ones, but they didn't bother either of them. They could deal with that kind of thing. Even the teachers didn't say anything. Well, with the exception of the chaplain, but nobody cared what he had to say anyway.

 

The gym looked lovely, with fairy lights and candles lighting the room instead of the overhead fluorescent lights. There were little hearts strung up on the walls, and bouquets of fake roses sat in vases on tables to make the mood more romantic.

 

Luke spotted Clyde and Rani by the speakers, tugging Sanjay over to them. Clyde was explaining something or another to Rani, who was just nodding politely as if she understood him.

 

“Hey, guys,” Luke called out.

 

“Oh, hey Luke,” Clyde grinned.

 

“Talking about Flash fan theories again, Clyde?” Sanjay teased with a raised eyebrow, fighting an amused smile.

 

“Maybe,” Clyde muttered. He was huge on fan theories, especially for the Flash TV show on the CW network. He talked about them whenever possible, even when he was supposed to be on a date.

 

Rani rolled her eyes, taking Clyde by the hand and dragging him out onto the dance floor for a slow song. Luke glanced at Sanjay, silently asking if he wanted to dance. Sanjay nodded, leading Luke out onto the dance floor.

 

The song playing from the speakers was 'I Swear' by John Michael Montgomery, a personal favourite of Sanjay's. As they danced, Sanjay placed his chin on Luke's shoulder, Luke doing the same with his. When the song ended, another slow one started playing, so they just kept dancing. Most of the songs were slow, actually, which meant they were dancing most of the night.

 

Around seven, Luke had taken a break from dancing to get a drink. He had a glass of punch at one of the tables, sitting next to Sanjay with their hands entwined.

 

“I love you,” Sanjay muttered, squeezing Luke's hand. It was the first time either of them had said those words, so what better time than Valentine's Day?

 

At first surprised by the random declaration, Luke smiled. “I love you too,” he muttered, leaning over to kiss Sanjay quickly.

 

“Well that's good,” Sanjay chuckled softly. “I mean, nearly five years has to mean something, right?” he mused.

 

“Of course it means something,” Luke nodded. “It means I don't plan on going anywhere unless you do something really stupid.”

 

“Stupid, you say?” Sanjay asked, raising an eyebrow. “What kind of stupid?”

 

“You know, cheating and stuff,” Luke elaborated.

 

“If that's you're definition of stupid relationship stuff, then I'm going to ask you something,” Sanjay said quietly.

 

Luke tilted his head curiously. “What is it, Jay?” he asked. He was the only person allowed to call him Jay, but he rarely did.

 

“I realize you're only 17 and I'm barely 18 and we're still in high school, but I love you so I'm going to ask,” Sanjay mumbled quickly, nervous. “Luke, when we're done with school, will you marry me?” he asked softly, looking at their entwined hands rather than at Luke.

 

Luke had been worried something had happened. When Sanjay asked, he blinked in surprise. That was probably a really weird proposal, since it happened in the school gym on Valentine's Day, but it was still important. “Of course,” Luke mumbled. “Absolutely.”

 

Sanjay looked back up at Luke with the most brilliant smile Luke had seen on him. It lit up his green eyes, the dimples in his cheeks prominent. “Really?” he muttered, giddy.

 

Luke nodded. “Really,” he stated. “I wouldn't mind being stuck with you forever,” he teased.

 

Sanjay squeezed Luke's hand, leaning in to kiss him. It started out innocent and chaste, but neither kept it that way for long. Someone across the room yelled at them to get a room, which caused them to pull away from each other.

 

When they broke apart, Sanjay pulled something out of his pocket. It looked like a box of some sort, the kind you might put a necklace in. He handed it to Luke, who looked at it curiously.

 

Untying the ribbon holding it closed, Luke opened the box carefully. Inside was a simple silver chain with four charms on it: an L, two Ss, and a T.

 

“Our initials,” Luke muttered, feeling tears prickling behind his brown eyes. 'Luke Smith' and 'Sanjay Taylor'. He allowed Sanjay to help him put it on, kissing him quickly once more.


End file.
